Lucille Clifton

She married Fred James Clifton, a Philosophy professor, in 1958 and had six children. The couple was happily married till Fred’s death in 1984.

During her later years she suffered from many illnesses including cancer. She died in February 2010 at the age of 73.

Lucille Sayles Clifton was born in Ney York to Samuel and Thelma Moore Sayles. Her father was a steel mill worker and her mother was a launderer who wrote poetry as a hobby. In spite of having little formal education themselves, her parents ensured that their children had access to a large number of books.

She went to Fosdick-Masten Park High School and earned a scholarship to study drama at Howard University in 1953. She met several intellectuals such as Sterling Brown, A.B.Spellman and Fred Clifton there.

She had to leave Howard in 1955 because of poor grades, and later studied at Fredonia State Teachers College (now the State University of New York at Fredonia).

She worked as a claims clerk in the New York State Division of Employment from 1958 to 1960 and later as literature assistant in the U.S. Office of Education, Washington, DC where she remained till 1971.

During the 1960’s, she also started writing professionally. Her writer friend, Ishmael Reed submitted her poetry to Langston Hughes who included them in his anthology ‘Poetry of the Negro, 1746-1970’.

In 1969, she published her first collection of poetry, ‘Good Times’ which reflected the happy experiences of her childhood. The book was very well received by the readers.

She was appointed as the poet-in-residence at Coppin State College in Baltimore in 1971, a position which she held till 1974.

Her second volume of poetry, ‘Good News about the Earth’ was published in 1972. The poems reflected the social and political changes that took place in the late 1960s.

Her first book of poetry, ‘Good Times’ (1969) which was a celebration of the African-American culture in which she grew up, created a sensation soon after being published. It was named as one of the best 10 books of the year by The New York Times.

Everett Anderson, a fictional character of a young black boy who featured in a number of her books is one of her most famous works. She wrote a series of eight Everett Anderson titles and won the Coretta Scott King Award for one of them: ‘Everett Anderson’s Goodbye’ (1984).

Her book, ‘Good Woman: Poems and a Memoir’ (1987) consisting of the reprint of her complete published poems was nominated for Pulitzer Prize in 1988.

‘Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988–2000’ was published in 2000 and is considered one of her most poignant works. The poems reflect her views on issues like racism, illness, gender, abortion and death. Many of the poems chronicle her experience as a cancer survivor.